Bayern extend unbeaten run to stay top of Bundesliga

FC Bayern beat Mainz 2-1 on Saturday to extend their unbeaten start to the season in all competitions and stay top of the Bundesliga table. Joshua Kimmich handed Bayern the lead in the first half and Lennart Karl doubled the advantage after the restart. Phillip Tietz scored a consolation goal for Mainz in added time, but Bayern sealed another victory that sees them go 31 Bundesliga away matches unbeaten – the third-longest streak in the league’s history.

Munich started with Manuel Neuer in goal and Konrad Laimer, Dayot Upamecano, Jonathan Tah and Josip Stanišić in a back four. Kimmich and Aleksandar Pavlović anchored a midfield featuring Michael Olise, Karl and Nathaniel Brown, with Harry Kane up front. Neuer had to be subbed off with injury late in the first half, with Jonas Urbig taking over. Tom Bischof, Alphonso Davies, Hiroki Ito and Sacha Boey came on for Stanišić, Karl, Laimer and Kimmich in the second half.

Kimmich opens

Bayern took the lead inside 15 minutes when Kane picked up a bad pass and teed up Kimmich, whose powerful drive from the D beat Mainz goalkeeper Robin Zentner. Brown and Upamecano saw efforts saved before there was little goalmouth action for a spell.

Kane fired over and Zentner made a good save to deny the Ballon d’Or winner. Mainz thought they had equalised when Jae-Sung Lee headed in from Nadiem Amiri’s free-kick, but the goal was ruled out for offside after a long VAR check. It was during that passage of play that Neuer had to go off.

Karl seals result

The second half started as the first one had. Bayern enjoyed more of the ball but struggled to create telling chances until the 57th minute when Kane saw an effort blocked but got hold of the ball and invited Karl to slot home. Kaishu Sano put an effort wide and Zentner denied Kimmich, with Olise curling a shot over.

Substitute Benedict Hollerbach also fired over before Upamecano’s header clipped the crossbar at the other end. Mainz got a goal back in the third minute of added time when Tietz flicked on Hollerbach’s cross, but Bayern went on to claim three deserved points.

The result means the defending champions have 21 points from nine matches, level on points with Borussia Dortmund, who beat Elversberg at the same time. A number of players will be on national team duty during the international break before Munich return to action on 20 November when they entertain Köln.

Live match report for fcbayern.com by Greg Salmen